scholarly journals Loci, genes, and gene networks associated with life history variation in a model ecological organism,Daphnia pulex(complex)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob W. Malcom ◽  
Thomas E. Juenger ◽  
Mathew A. Leibold
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life History ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Daphnia Pulex ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Trait Variation

ABSTRACTBackgroundIdentifying the molecular basis of heritable variation provides insight into the underlying mechanisms generating phenotypic variation and the evolutionary history of organismal traits. Life history trait variation is of central importance to ecological and evolutionary dynamics, and contemporary genomic tools permit studies of the basis of this variation in non-genetic model organisms. We used high density genotyping, RNA-Seq gene expression assays, and detailed phenotyping of fourteen ecologically important life history traits in a wild-caught panel of 32Daphnia pulexclones to explore the molecular basis of trait variation in a model ecological species.ResultsWe found extensive phenotypic and a range of heritable genetic variation (~0 < H2< 0.44) in the panel, and accordingly identify 75-261 genes—organized in 3-6 coexpression modules—associated with genetic variation in each trait. The trait-related coexpression modules possess well-supported promoter motifs, and in conjunction with marker variation at trans- loci, suggest a relatively small number of important expression regulators. We further identify a candidate genetic network with SNPs in eight known transcriptional regulators, and dozens of differentially expressed genes, associated with life history variation. The gene-trait associations include numerous un-annotated genes, but also support several a priori hypotheses, including an ecdysone-induced protein and several Gene Ontology pathways.ConclusionThe genetic and gene expression architecture ofDaphnialife history traits is complex, and our results provide numerous candidate loci, genes, and coexpression modules to be tested as the molecular mechanisms that underlieDaphniaeco-evolutionary dynamics.

scholarly journals Life-history Trait Variation in Native vs. Invasive Asexual New Zealand Mud Snails

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Donne ◽  
Katelyn Larkin ◽  
Claire Adrian-Tucci ◽  
Abby Good ◽  
Carson Kephart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life History ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Freshwater Snail ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Low Genetic Diversity ◽  
Native Diversity

Abstract Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a New Zealand freshwater snail that is invasive worldwide. While native P. antipodarum populations are characterized by frequent coexistence between obligately sexual and obligately asexual individuals, only the asexual snails are known to invade other ecosystems. Despite low genetic diversity and the absence of sex, invasive asexual P. antipodarum are highly successful. Here, we quantified variation in three key life-history traits across invasive P. antipodarum lineages and compared this variation to already documented variation in these same traits in asexual native lineages to provide a deeper understanding of why some lineages become invasive. In particular, we evaluated 1) if invasive lineages of P. antipodarum could be successful because they represent life-history variation from native ancestors that could facilitate invasion, and 2) if invasive populations with higher genetic variation would display relatively high phenotypic variation. We found that invasive snails displayed a non-representative sample of native diversity, with invasive snails growing more slowly and maturing more rapidly than their native counterparts. These results are consistent with expectations of a scenario where invasive lineages represent a subset of native variation that is beneficial in the setting of invasion. Nevertheless, there was no evidence for a relationship between genetic and phenotypic variation, indicating that increased genetic variation does not necessarily translate into greater phenotypic variation, and consistent with earlier studies suggesting an important role for phenotypic plasticity in the P. antipodarum invasion. Together, these results help illuminate the mechanisms driving the worldwide expansion of invasive populations of these snails.

Response to selection for photoperiod responsiveness on the density and location of mature GnRH-releasing neurons

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (5) ◽  
pp. R1226-R1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio Avigdor ◽  
Shannon D. Sullivan ◽  
Paul D. Heideman
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life History ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Short Photoperiod ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Complex Method ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Gnrh Neurons

Natural variation in neuroendocrine traits is poorly understood, despite the importance of variation in brain function and evolution. Most rodents in the temperate zones inhibit reproduction and other nonessential functions in short winter photoperiods, but some have little or no reproductive response. We tested whether genetic variability in reproductive seasonality is related to individual differences in the neuronal function of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone network, as assessed by the number and location of mature gonadotropin-releasing hormone-secreting neurons under inhibitory and excitatory photoperiods. The experiments used lines of Peromyscus leucopus previously developed by selection from a wild population. One line contained individuals reproductively inhibited by short photoperiod, and the other line contained individuals nonresponsive to short photoperiod. Expression of mature gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity in the brain was detected using SMI-41 antibody in the single-labeled avidin-biotin-peroxidase-complex method. Nonresponsive mice had 50% more immunoreactive GnRH neurons than reproductively inhibited mice in both short- and long-day photoperiods. The greatest differences were in the anterior hypothalamus and preoptic areas. In contrast, we detected no significant within-lines differences in the number or location of immunoreactive GnRH neurons between photoperiod treatments. Our data indicate that high levels of genetic variation in a single wild population for a specific neuronal trait are related to phenotypic variation in a life history trait, i.e., winter reproduction. Variation in GnRH neuronal activity may underlie some of the natural reproductive and life history variation observed in wild populations of P. leucopus. Similar genetic variation in neuronal traits may be present in humans and other species.

scholarly journals Cis-regulatory differences in isoform expression associate with life history strategy variation in Atlantic salmon

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jukka-Pekka Verta ◽  
Paul Vincent Debes ◽  
Nikolai Piavchenko ◽  
Annukka Ruokolainen ◽  
Outi Ovaskainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Gene Transcript ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Age At Maturity ◽  
Life History Variation

AbstractA major goal in biology is to understand how evolution shapes variation in individual life histories. Genome-wide association studies have been successful in uncovering genome regions linked with traits underlying life history variation in a range of species. However, lack of functional studies of the discovered genotype-phenotype associations severely restrains our understanding how alternative life history traits evolved and are mediated at the molecular level. Here, we report a cis-regulatory mechanism whereby expression of alternative isoforms of the transcription co-factor vestigial-like 3 (vgll3) associate with variation in a key life history trait, age at maturity, in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Using a common-garden experiment, we first show that vgll3 genotype associates with puberty timing in one-year-old salmon males. By way of temporal sampling of vgll3 expression in ten tissues across the first year of salmon development, we identify a pubertal transition in vgll3 expression where maturation coincided with a 66% reduction in testicular vgll3 expression. The late maturation allele was not only associated with a tendency to delay puberty, but also with expression of a rare transcript isoform of vgll3 pre-puberty. By comparing absolute vgll3 mRNA copies in heterozygotes we show that the expression difference between the early and late maturity alleles is largely cis-regulatory. We propose a model whereby expression of a rare isoform from the late allele shifts the liability of its carriers towards delaying puberty. These results reveal how regulatory differences can be a central mechanism for the evolution of life history traits.Author summaryAlternative life history strategies are an important source of diversity within populations and promote the maintenance of adaptive capacity and population resilience. However, in many cases the molecular basis of different life history strategies remains elusive. Age at maturity is a key adaptive life history trait in Atlantic salmon and has a relatively simple genetic basis. Using salmon age at maturity as a model, we report a mechanism whereby different transcript isoforms of the key age at maturity gene, vestigial-like 3 (vgll3), associate with variation in the timing of male puberty. Our results show how gene regulatory differences in conjunction with variation in gene transcript structure can encode for complex alternative life histories.

scholarly journals Mapping the adaptive landscape of a major agricultural pathogen reveals evolutionary constraints across heterogeneous environments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anik Dutta ◽  
Fanny E. Hartmann ◽  
Carolina Sardinha Francisco ◽  
Bruce A. McDonald ◽  
Daniel Croll
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Trade Offs

AbstractThe adaptive potential of pathogens in novel or heterogeneous environments underpins the risk of disease epidemics. Antagonistic pleiotropy or differential resource allocation among life-history traits can constrain pathogen adaptation. However, we lack understanding of how the genetic architecture of individual traits can generate trade-offs. Here, we report a large-scale study based on 145 global strains of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici from four continents. We measured 50 life-history traits, including virulence and reproduction on 12 different wheat hosts and growth responses to several abiotic stressors. To elucidate the genetic basis of adaptation, we used genome-wide association mapping coupled with genetic correlation analyses. We show that most traits are governed by polygenic architectures and are highly heritable suggesting that adaptation proceeds mainly through allele frequency shifts at many loci. We identified negative genetic correlations among traits related to host colonization and survival in stressful environments. Such genetic constraints indicate that pleiotropic effects could limit the pathogen’s ability to cause host damage. In contrast, adaptation to abiotic stress factors was likely facilitated by synergistic pleiotropy. Our study illustrates how comprehensive mapping of life-history trait architectures across diverse environments allows to predict evolutionary trajectories of pathogens confronted with environmental perturbations.

scholarly journals Natural variation in fecundity is correlated with species-wide levels of divergence in Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaotian Zhang ◽  
Jake D Mostad ◽  
Erik C Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Selective Sweeps ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genetic Complexity ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Global Population

Abstract Life history traits underlie the fitness of organisms and are under strong natural selection. A new mutation that positively impacts a life history trait will likely increase in frequency and become fixed in a population (e.g. a selective sweep). The identification of the beneficial alleles that underlie selective sweeps provides insights into the mechanisms that occurred during the evolution of a species. In the global population of Caenorhabditis elegans, we previously identified selective sweeps that have drastically reduced chromosomal-scale genetic diversity in the species. Here, we measured the fecundity of 121 wild C. elegans strains, including many recently isolated divergent strains from the Hawaiian islands and found that strains with larger swept genomic regions have significantly higher fecundity than strains without evidence of the recent selective sweeps. We used genome-wide association (GWA) mapping to identify three quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the fecundity variation. Additionally, we mapped previous fecundity data from wild C. elegans strains and C. elegans recombinant inbred advanced intercross lines that were grown in various conditions and detected eight QTL using GWA and linkage mappings. These QTL show the genetic complexity of fecundity across this species. Moreover, the haplotype structure in each GWA QTL region revealed correlations with recent selective sweeps in the C. elegans population. North American and European strains had significantly higher fecundity than most strains from Hawaii, a hypothesized origin of the C. elegans species, suggesting that beneficial alleles that caused increased fecundity could underlie the selective sweeps during the worldwide expansion of C. elegans.

Specificity of predator-induced neck spine and alteration in life history traits in Daphnia pulex

Hydrobiologia ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 294 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Repka ◽  
Matti Ketola ◽  
Mari Walls
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Daphnia Pulex

scholarly journals Life-history variation of drosophila subobscura under lead pollution depends on population history

Genetika ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 693-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojan Kenig ◽  
Aleksandra Patenkovic ◽  
Marko Andjelkovic ◽  
Marina Stamenkovic-Rada
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Life History ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Drosophila Subobscura ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation

Contamination represents environmental stress that can affect genetic variability of populations, thus influencing the evolutionary processes. In this study, we evaluate the relationship between heavy metal contamination (Pb) and phenotypic variation, assessed by coefficients of variation (CV) of life-history traits. To investigate the consequences of population origin on variation of life history traits in Drosophila subobscura in response to different laboratory conditions we compared populations from relatively polluted and unpolluted environments. Prior to experiment, flies from natural populations were reared for two generations in standard Drosophila laboratory conditions. Afterwards, all flies were cultured on three different media: one medium without lead as the control, and the other two with different concentrations of lead. Coefficients of variation (CV) of life- history traits (fecundity, egg-to-adult viability and developmental time) were analyzed on flies sampled in generations F2, F5 and F8 from these three groups. In later generations samples from both polluted and unpolluted environments showed the increased fecundity variation on media with lead. This increase is expressed more in population from unpolluted environment. On contrary, population from unpolluted environment had increased variation of developmental time in earlier, F2 generation, compared to the population from polluted environment. Our results showed that the response to heavy metal contamination depends on the evolutionary history of the populations regarding habitat pollution.

scholarly journals The Heritability of Behavior: A Meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned A Dochtermann ◽  
Tori Schwab ◽  
Monica Anderson Berdal ◽  
Jeremy Dalos ◽  
Raphaël Royauté
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
High Heritability ◽  
Relevant Factors

AbstractThe contribution of genetic variation to phenotypes is a central factor in whether and how populations respond to selection. The most common approach to estimating these influences is via the calculation of heritabilities, which summarize the contribution of genetic variation to phenotypic variation. Heritabilities also indicate the relative effect of genetic variation on phenotypes versus that of environmental sources of variation. For labile traits like behavioral responses, life history traits, and physiological responses, estimation of heritabilities is important as these traits are strongly influenced by the environment. Thus, knowing whether or not genetic variation is present within populations is necessary to understand whether or not these populations can evolve in response to selection. Here we report the results of a meta-analysis summarizing what we currently know about the heritability of behavior. Using phylogenetically controlled methods we assessed the average heritability of behavior (0.235)—which is similar to that reported in previous analyses of physiological and life history traits—and examined differences among taxa, behavioral classifications, and other biologically relevant factors. We found that there was considerable variation among behaviors as to how heritable they were, with migratory behaviors being the most heritable. Interestingly, we found no effect of phylogeny on estimates of heritability. These results suggest, first, that behavior may not be particularly unique in the degree to which it is influenced by factors other than genetics and, second, that those factors influencing whether a behavioral trait will have low or high heritability require further consideration.

scholarly journals Density Dependence, Evolutionary Optimization, and the Diversification of Avian Life Histories

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Ricklefs
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Table ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Empirical Modeling ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Evolutionary Response

Abstract Although we have learned much about avian life histories during the 50 years since the seminal publications of David Lack, Alexander Skutch, and Reginald Moreau, we still do not have adequate explanations for some of the basic patterns of variation in life-history traits among birds. In part, this reflects two consequences of the predominance of evolutionary ecology thinking during the past three decades. First, by blurring the distinction between life-history traits and life-table variables, we have tended to divorce life histories from their environmental context, which forms the link between the life history and the life table. Second, by emphasizing constrained evolutionary responses to selective factors, we have set aside alternative explanations for observed correlations among life-history traits and life-table variables. Density-dependent feedback and independent evolutionary response to correlated aspects of the environment also may link traits through different mechanisms. Additionally, in some cases we have failed to evaluate quantitatively ideas that are compelling qualitatively, ignored or explained away relevant empirical data, and neglected logical implications of certain compelling ideas. Comparative analysis of avian life histories shows that species are distributed along a dominant slow-fast axis. Furthermore, among birds, annual reproductive rate and adult mortality are directly proportional to each other, requiring that pre-reproductive survival is approximately constant. This further implies that age at maturity increases dramatically with increasing adult survival rate. The significance of these correlations is obscure, particularly because survival and reproductive rates at each age include the effects of many life-history traits. For example, reproductive rate is determined by clutch size, nesting success, season length, and nest-cycle length, each of which represents the outcome of many different interactions of an individual's life-history traits with its environment. Resolution of the most basic issues raised by patterns of life histories clearly will require innovative empirical, modeling, and experimental approaches. However, the most fundamental change required at this time is a broadening of the evolutionary ecology paradigm to include a variety of alternative mechanisms for generating patterns of life-history variation.

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